Is this an Imperial German flying helmet?

Article about: Good afternoon, all I have had the helmet illustrated below for as long as I can remember. Thus I can't remember when or where I acquired it. I believed - although I cannot now remember why

Is this an Imperial German flying helmet?

Good afternoon, all

I have had the helmet illustrated below for as long as I can remember. Thus I can't remember when or where I acquired it. I believed - although I cannot now remember why - that originally it had a military vehicle use. For my part, I used it to keep my head warm when driving my car with the roof down at night!

On another forum, specific to aviation history, it's been suggested that it is a flying helmet of WW1 German origin. Yet even with the limited information I was able to make available there, numerous conflicting ideas were advanced as to what it is, what is its origin and how old it is. Thus it was suggested that I try a more specific forum, where appropriate expertise is likely to be found. And here I am!

The helmet is made from soft leather. It is very comfortable to wear. The colour is, perhaps, more slate grey than black, but this may be a product of age. It is lined with very fine black cotton (?) cloth. There is no label or any other specific identifying mark on or in it. However on the neck flap, there is an embossed 'T3' below what appears to be an embossed crown. Also there is a 'tatto', on the lower left front edge of the neck flap, which I can't decipher. And on the reverse of one of the press studs the word 'STOCKO' appears twice. On the other studs there are, respectively, circles of inverted benchmarks and circles of dots. The ear flaps each conceal a hole of approximately 17 mm diameter within a stitched square. The chin strap and the neck strap employ roller buckles. There is a tight leather loop on the crown of the helmet.

I'm not sure that there is much more information that I can offer. But if anyone thinks that there is, please say and I'll endeavour to oblige. Anyhow, if anyone can shed any light upon the item - purpose, origin, age, etc. - I shall be most grateful.

Here's one with a shorter neck flap but the rest of it looks pretty much the same as yours. Helmets with the long flap i've seen have been described as RFC, maybe the Germans decided to copy the feature!..

It's a wasted trip baby. Nobody said nothing about locking horns with no Tigers.

Thank you, again. Yes, I'm inclined to agree that the helmet in the photograph appears similar to mine - other than the length of the neck flap. Can you please tell me the source of that photograph and whether that gives any information regarding that helmet?

Whilst I readily admit to a lack of appropriate expertise - which is the reason why I'm here and asking questions - I did think that probably mine is not an RFC helmet. The RFC flying helmets I've seen on the internet mostly seem to be tan leather. But perhaps more significant is the fact that there is a press stud marked STOCKO and my research indicates this to have been a German manufacturer established in the Wuppertal area in 1901.

I had hoped that the embossed marks and the 'tatto' on the neck flap might have been significant and to have offered clues that someone would have recognised. At present, it seems not.

Thank you, again. Yes, I'm inclined to agree that the helmet in the photograph appears similar to mine - other than the length of the neck flap. Can you please tell me the source of that photograph and whether that gives any information regarding that helmet?

Whilst I readily admit to a lack of appropriate expertise - which is the reason why I'm here and asking questions - I did think that probably mine is not an RFC helmet. The RFC flying helmets I've seen on the internet mostly seem to be tan leather. But perhaps more significant is the fact that there is a press stud marked STOCKO and my research indicates this to have been a German manufacturer established in the Wuppertal area in 1901.

I had hoped that the embossed marks and the 'tatto' on the neck flap might have been significant and to have offered clues that someone would have recognised. At present, it seems not.

Thank you, both of you. Whilst I may be asking a stupid question - which won't be anything new! -were there standard designs for this type of helmet? I note that mine differs from that in the photograph in having a longer neck flap and a buckled strap at the back of the neck. Someone has suggested to me that these items were not 'issued' to airmen but self supplied and generally sourced from the suppliers of motoring apparel.